President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Drug Enforcement Administration withdrew his candidacy Monday, with Florida Sheriff Chad Chronister announcing he will remain in his current position leading Hillsborough County’s law enforcement.
Chronister, a three-decade law enforcement veteran, cited local obligations in declining what he called “the honour of a lifetime” in a statement posted on social media platform X. “Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,” Chronister wrote.
Trump had announced Chronister’s nomination Saturday on Truth Social, touting the sheriff’s potential role in border security and combating illegal drug trafficking. The DEA, which Chronister would have led, holds primary responsibility for enforcing federal drug laws and regulations of controlled substances.
The withdrawal marks the second high-profile nominee to step away from Trump’s prospective administration. Former Congressman Matt Gaetz previously withdrew from consideration for attorney general amid controversy over a pending investigatory report regarding allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use, which he has consistently denied. Gaetz cited the controversy “unfairly becoming a distraction” in his decision to withdraw.
“I sincerely appreciate the nomination, outpouring of support by the American people, and look forward to continuing my service as Sheriff of Hillsborough County,” Chronister concluded in his statement.
